Alegria
June 24th-27th
The Portland Playhouse
The newest production by Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater featuring a West Coast premier by Oluyinka Akinjiola, choreographic premiers by DarVejon Jones, Michael Galen, and Jamie Minkus. Special Guests include Andrea Whittle, dynamic actor and mover from the Portland Playhouse and musical guest to be announced soon!
June 24th-27th
The Portland Playhouse
The newest production by Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater featuring a West Coast premier by Oluyinka Akinjiola, choreographic premiers by DarVejon Jones, Michael Galen, and Jamie Minkus. Special Guests include Andrea Whittle, dynamic actor and mover from the Portland Playhouse and musical guest to be announced soon!
“Ancestry In Motion” weaves the fabric of time from a single thread connecting the past to the present by exploring the African roots found in the modern vernacular movements of Jazz and House, and calls upon the African deity of the ocean to address the continuing epidemic of police brutality. The evening will premiere choreographic works from Michael Galen, Dar Vejon Jones, and Jamie Minkus as well as solo works by the esteemed Oluyinka Akinjioa and the captivating Lin Lucas. Guest Artists include Okaidja Afroso and Rudy Slizewski.
Tickets can be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com. $16 in advance, $20 day of the show.
Tickets can be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com. $16 in advance, $20 day of the show.
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"Single Story " Beaverton Ten Tiny Dances
July 11th, 2015 Single Story was inspired by “The Danger of a Single Story” TED talk delivered by chimamanda ngozi adiche. By blending storytelling, dances of the African Diaspora and Taiko drumming, we will unpack the culprit of stereotypes - “the single story.” This performance is a synthesis between traditional and contemporary art forms, spoken word, and audience interaction. |
PAST PERFORMANCES
Rejoice Diaspora Dance Theater| ICONS
http://diasporadancetheater.weebly.com/
June 26-28th
4625 SE 67th Ave. Portland, OR 97206 Presented with the support of the Alembic Co-Production Series of Performance Works NorthWest Buy tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1555218
http://diasporadancetheater.weebly.com/
June 26-28th
4625 SE 67th Ave. Portland, OR 97206 Presented with the support of the Alembic Co-Production Series of Performance Works NorthWest Buy tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1555218
Axé Didé
Brazil Brasil
June 6th at 7pm| June 7th at 7pm
Center Space Studio 420 SE 6th ave. Portland OR 97212
Presale tickets: $12 or $15 at the door.
Brazil Brasil
June 6th at 7pm| June 7th at 7pm
Center Space Studio 420 SE 6th ave. Portland OR 97212
Presale tickets: $12 or $15 at the door.
Rejoice: Diaspora Dance Theater sneak peak
Village Building Convergence
June 3rd 9:15pm
Rejoice will perform "Phenomenally" with special guests and Oluyinka will perform "Sojourner's Truth"
Village Building Convergence
June 3rd 9:15pm
Rejoice will perform "Phenomenally" with special guests and Oluyinka will perform "Sojourner's Truth"
Phenomenally
presented in the New Expressive Works show
March 27-29th Studio 2@Zoomtopia
810 SE Belmont
Portland, OR
Featuring: Oluyinka Akinjiola, Uriah Boyd, Marisa Ferro, Jamie Minkus, and Sara Mohkami
Text by Maya Angelou
Live music by Rudy Slizewski and Jeff Burres
Photography by Anthony Arnista
“Phenomenally” is in dedication to the artistic contributions and life of Dr. Maya Angelou. She inspired us to merge cultures and traditions of the African Diaspora in choreography. The body of the work focuses on Dr. Angelou’s poems "Still I Rise" and “Phenomenal Woman,” first published in 1978. We merge her text with expressions of female and male divinities of the Yoruba Diaspora. The deities, or orishas—Oshún, Oya, Shango, Ogun, Ochossi and Yemaja—represent fertility, motherhood, sensuality, justice, power and the passage between life and death.
presented in the New Expressive Works show
March 27-29th Studio 2@Zoomtopia
810 SE Belmont
Portland, OR
Featuring: Oluyinka Akinjiola, Uriah Boyd, Marisa Ferro, Jamie Minkus, and Sara Mohkami
Text by Maya Angelou
Live music by Rudy Slizewski and Jeff Burres
Photography by Anthony Arnista
“Phenomenally” is in dedication to the artistic contributions and life of Dr. Maya Angelou. She inspired us to merge cultures and traditions of the African Diaspora in choreography. The body of the work focuses on Dr. Angelou’s poems "Still I Rise" and “Phenomenal Woman,” first published in 1978. We merge her text with expressions of female and male divinities of the Yoruba Diaspora. The deities, or orishas—Oshún, Oya, Shango, Ogun, Ochossi and Yemaja—represent fertility, motherhood, sensuality, justice, power and the passage between life and death.
December 13, 2014, join us at the IPRC for Beasts of Notation—a multi-media, interdisciplinary, and interactive event, that asks the public to participate through movement, generative poetry, and booklet making. Common themes that artists keyon gaskin, sidony o’neal, alex riedlinger, and sharita towne are working to unpack and expose in their respective practices will be explored in a community setting—translation, border identities, liminality, permission, opacity and command with respect to movement and code(d) bodies and texts.
Cuba Libre
October 19th, 2014
7:30PM
Artist Repertory Theater
Portland, Oregon
October 19th, 2014
7:30PM
Artist Repertory Theater
Portland, Oregon
Sojourner's Truth
Beaverton Ten Tiny Dances
July 14th, 2014
9:00am-1:00pm
Beaverton, Oregon
featuring Rudy Slizewski of Tap Water
“Sojourner’s Truth” brings the dynamic Ain't I a Woman? speech to life. First
delivered by Sojourner Truth in1851 at the Women's Convention in Akron Ohio, now this contemporary exploration takes the dynamic speech into movement and combines folkloric dance from Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Cuban and modern dance. This solo choreography by Oluyinka Akinjiola will be set to live musical accompaniment by Rudy Slizewski. The reinterpretation of the speech with Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian elements brings issues on gender and race to an international discussion.
Beaverton Ten Tiny Dances
July 14th, 2014
9:00am-1:00pm
Beaverton, Oregon
featuring Rudy Slizewski of Tap Water
“Sojourner’s Truth” brings the dynamic Ain't I a Woman? speech to life. First
delivered by Sojourner Truth in1851 at the Women's Convention in Akron Ohio, now this contemporary exploration takes the dynamic speech into movement and combines folkloric dance from Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Cuban and modern dance. This solo choreography by Oluyinka Akinjiola will be set to live musical accompaniment by Rudy Slizewski. The reinterpretation of the speech with Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian elements brings issues on gender and race to an international discussion.
Premier of Oshun, Xica and the Sambista
Sankofa African Drum & Dance Ensemble Concert
The College at Brockport, State University of New York
Dates: May 1st-4th, 2014
The context of this work explores black female iconography from the African Diaspora including Oshún, Xica da Silva, and the Deusa de Ebano. Oshún, the Yoruba deity from Nigeria and Benin represents ultimate femininity from the African perspective. Xica da Silva was an Afro-Brazilian slave who became the richest woman in Minas Gerais through her romantic union with João Fernandez. The Deusa de Ebano, or ebony goddess, becomes the symbol of Blocos Afros during the yearly celebration of Carnaval in Salvador, Brazil. In the thesis process Oluyinka collaborated with dancers in Salvador, Brazil and the College at Brockport to facilitate a semester-long exchange through dance.
Sankofa African Drum & Dance Ensemble Concert
The College at Brockport, State University of New York
Dates: May 1st-4th, 2014
The context of this work explores black female iconography from the African Diaspora including Oshún, Xica da Silva, and the Deusa de Ebano. Oshún, the Yoruba deity from Nigeria and Benin represents ultimate femininity from the African perspective. Xica da Silva was an Afro-Brazilian slave who became the richest woman in Minas Gerais through her romantic union with João Fernandez. The Deusa de Ebano, or ebony goddess, becomes the symbol of Blocos Afros during the yearly celebration of Carnaval in Salvador, Brazil. In the thesis process Oluyinka collaborated with dancers in Salvador, Brazil and the College at Brockport to facilitate a semester-long exchange through dance.